Colonel
Kenneth L. Morckel
Superintendent
Ohio State Highway Patrol
Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers will be working vigilantly this year to reduce a crime that results in the death of more than 300 people each year in Ohio. The crime is DUI.
In addition to impaired driving enforcement, the Patrol aims to change the perception of DUI in Ohio. Too many drivers refer to driving under the influence of alcohol as a "mistake." Getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not a mistake. DUI is a crime. It is a crime that results in pain and grief for the family and friends of the loved ones lost in alcohol-related crashes.
Impaired driving enforcement has always been a Patrol priority, but it took on a renewed meaning last November when a drunk driver killed one of our own. Trooper Frank Vazquez, 26, of the West Jefferson Post, was killed while patrolling Interstate 270 in Franklin County. On November 5, Tpr. Vazquez was outside of his cruiser issuing a traffic citation when a 1999 GMC Jimmy driven by David Dye, 33, struck his cruiser from behind. Tpr. Vazquez died in the early morning of November 6 from injuries sustained in the crash.
A Patrol toxicology report revealed Dye had a 0.318 blood alcohol level (BAC) when he hit Tpr. Vazquez’s cruiser. Driving with a BAC of 0.10 percent is a crime in Ohio. Dye was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, a second-degree felony. If convicted, he could face up to eight years in prison.
One man’s decision to get behind the wheel changed many lives forever. A young widow is left to raise three young children without their father. Their lives have been sadly altered because of DUI.
Unfortunately, Vazquez’s story is not unique. Hundreds of lives are lost each year on our highways as the result of alcohol-related crashes, and thousands of loved ones are left to grieve. The grief is especially difficult because lives lost in alcohol-related crashes are preventable. Designate a sober driver, hire a taxi, call a safe ride program, or make arrangements to spend the night where you are drinking.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is a leader in traffic enforcement and has always taken great strides to remove impaired drivers from our highways. However, there is room for improvement, both in Ohio and across the nation, when it comes to reducing DUI.
Nationally, fatalities caused by impaired drivers increased in 2000 for the first time in five years. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, there were more than 16,500 impaired driving related deaths in 2000, which was an increase of more than 800 deaths from 1999.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, tremendous progress was made in the reduction of alcohol-related crash fatalities. In Ohio, 623 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in 1990. That number was reduced to 350 by 2000. While improvements have been made, it is no comfort to the loved ones of those killed in alcohol-related crashes.
Further improvements must be made. One in every four traffic fatalities in Ohio last year was a result of an alcohol-impaired driver.
Last month, the Patrol stepped up DUI enforcement and education for National Drunk and Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month. Troopers increased enforcement and encouraged Ohio’s media outlets to cover the problem of impaired driving. I would like to continue this level of awareness throughout this new year.
At Tpr. Vazquez’s funeral, I vowed the Patrol would be more vigilant than ever in removing drunk drivers from Ohio roads. I intend to lead this effort by keeping the dangers of impaired driving at the forefront of Patrol education and enforcement.
I am asking all Ohioans to join me in making Ohio’s roadways a safer place by reducing alcohol-related crashes in Ohio. Designate a driver if you plan to drink, or make other travel arrangements. I urge you to do your part by keeping impaired friends and family from getting behind the wheel. Their lives may depend on it.
It’s about safety!